** Barbell Bench Press **
- 45.0 lbs x 10 reps
- 95.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 135.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 195.0 lbs x 1 rep
- 165.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 165.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 165.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 165.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 165.0 lbs x 5 reps
** Standing Dumbbell Shoulder Press **
- 30.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 40.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 50.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 50.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 50.0 lbs x 5 reps
Thursday, December 11, 2014
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
Dec 10, 2014
FitNotes Workout - Wednesday 10 December 2014
** Barbell Squat **
- 45.0 lbs x 10 reps
- 95.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 135.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 185.0 lbs x 3 reps
- 225.0 lbs x 2 reps
- 260.0 lbs x 1 reps
- 230.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 230.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 230.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 230.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 230.0 lbs x 5 reps
** Pull-up **
- 5 x 10 reps
Hips and knees actually didn't feel great all day and it was also a pretty tiring and stressful day so autoregulation wise, wasn't the best time for training, but pushed through it anyway. 260 felt a bit shaky, as did set 4 of the working sets, and I think the reason is because although I push my hips back and descend straight down, I realized that the weight was not over the heels enough and so the descent felt less solid and confident. Also, had less power on the ascent. Realized this most consciously during set 4 so for set 5 I focused more on the heels and things felt significantly better, despite it being the last set of the day. Power was better out of the hole, and descent definitely sped up. Hopefully I'll feel better by next squat session on Friday.
** Barbell Squat **
- 45.0 lbs x 10 reps
- 95.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 135.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 185.0 lbs x 3 reps
- 225.0 lbs x 2 reps
- 260.0 lbs x 1 reps
- 230.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 230.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 230.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 230.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 230.0 lbs x 5 reps
** Pull-up **
- 5 x 10 reps
Hips and knees actually didn't feel great all day and it was also a pretty tiring and stressful day so autoregulation wise, wasn't the best time for training, but pushed through it anyway. 260 felt a bit shaky, as did set 4 of the working sets, and I think the reason is because although I push my hips back and descend straight down, I realized that the weight was not over the heels enough and so the descent felt less solid and confident. Also, had less power on the ascent. Realized this most consciously during set 4 so for set 5 I focused more on the heels and things felt significantly better, despite it being the last set of the day. Power was better out of the hole, and descent definitely sped up. Hopefully I'll feel better by next squat session on Friday.
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
Dec 9, 2014
** Barbell Bench Press **
- 45.0 lbs x 10 reps
- 95.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 135.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 190.0 lbs x 1 rep
- 160.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 160.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 160.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 160.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 160.0 lbs x 5 reps
** Standing Dumbbell Shoulder Press **
- 30.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 40.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 50.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 50.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 50.0 lbs x 5 reps
All bench press reps were done with a minimum 1 sec pause touching the chest.
Lats/upper back still sore from the pullups and squats (squeezing upper back tight) yesterday so passed on doing dumbbell rows after all the pressing. Really need to get back on the pullups. Used to be one of my biggest strengths but it's been sorely neglected for a long time since I started the powerlifts.
- 45.0 lbs x 10 reps
- 95.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 135.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 190.0 lbs x 1 rep
- 160.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 160.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 160.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 160.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 160.0 lbs x 5 reps
** Standing Dumbbell Shoulder Press **
- 30.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 40.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 50.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 50.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 50.0 lbs x 5 reps
All bench press reps were done with a minimum 1 sec pause touching the chest.
Lats/upper back still sore from the pullups and squats (squeezing upper back tight) yesterday so passed on doing dumbbell rows after all the pressing. Really need to get back on the pullups. Used to be one of my biggest strengths but it's been sorely neglected for a long time since I started the powerlifts.
Monday, December 8, 2014
Yu Lift Daily Max (DM) Program
Warm-up
-Rumble roller
-Banded hip flexor stretch with glutes flexed (pull backwards, sideways with internal and external rotation, stand and pull forwards)
-Leg swings (forward and sideways)
-Fire hydrants (rotating both ways)
-Squat (pushing knees out with elbows) to standing hamstring stretch
Squat: (Mon/Weds/Fri): Squat to DM (1 rep); 3-5 back-off sets of 5 reps; Pull-ups 5x10 (Optional Accessory: Ab Roller 3x10)
Bench: (Tues/Thurs/Sun): Paused bench press to DM (1 rep); 3-5 back-off sets of 5 reps; Shoulder Press 3x5 (Optional Accessory: One Arm Dumbbell Row 3x5)
Deadlift: (Sat): Deadlift 3x5; Pull-ups 5x10
-Back-off sets = DM-30 lbs for squats, DM-25 lbs for bench press (calculated from 1RM, ~10% drop in effort, which should allow for 5 reps)
-Increase DM by 5 lbs each workout (after this stalls, can increase 5 lbs each week instead)
-Increase DM by 5 lbs each workout (after this stalls, can increase 5 lbs each week instead)
Adapted my training program to this new daily max style program. There's a few reasons for this, and I think there's some advantages to this, at least for me.
1) Doing the daily max helps build confidence because you know you can hit a good clean rep at a significantly higher weight than what the working sets will be. This is particularly confidence-inducing too because when progressing on a program like Starting Strength, Stronglifts or the like, linear progression is occurring with each workout, but that progression also involves a new PR with 5 reps. If say, the previous workout was a real grind to get that 5th rep for each set, then it's very natural to be nervous entering the following workout, trying for a heavy weight that has never been attempted before, and doing 3-5 sets of 5 with it. Doing a daily max builds confidence that a heavier weight CAN be done without technique breakdown or grinding a good many workouts prior to the working sets of 5 reps actually reaching that weight. By the time the working sets of 5 reps come around, your new daily max is already 30 lbs heavier, so again, confidence will be significantly boosted. Note: the choice of dropping 30 lbs (at least within this weight range of ~300 lbs) was actually chosen because based on a 1RM calculator, that's ~ a 10% drop in effort. For example, if 300 lbs is the 1RM, 270 is 90% and can be done for 5 reps.
2) Along the same lines, doing a daily max with higher weight helps you get more accustomed to having a heavy weight on the back, and also keeping the technique solid with a heavier weight. This will help with preventing you linearly progressing up to a new weight that you are unaccustomed to and possibly grinding the reps and burning out your CNS or worse, getting injured because of technique breakdown.
3) There's a lot more confidence for hitting a daily max because everything can be poured into that 1 rep and performing it perfectly, as you would in an actual powerlifting competition. When you get under the bar, you don't need to worry about doing an additional 4 reps afterwards. You can just focus 100% on hitting that rep perfectly.
4) By hitting daily maxes and then doing back off sets, not only will those sets feel easier, but volume can be built up with those sets and it is well known that strength building occurs in those lower intensity higher volume sets, NOT the actual testing or demonstration of strength through the 1 rep maxes.
In contrast to my previous linear program though, I am only doing 1 main lift per day, the main reason being time constraints. In doing this, I can focus on squatting 100% that day without worrying that I still have to do my full bench and deadlift workout still. This also allows me to push beyond just 3 sets and can boost my volume that way. However, in doing it this way, I have relegated the deadlift to it's own day, once a week, but on that day, I'm doing 3x5 instead of 1x5. Although the frequency is decreased so much, I think the performance and training effect should actually be better because I can actually focus on hitting the deadlifts as opposed to doing it after I'm all burned out from the volume of squats and bench presses done beforehand.
1) Doing the daily max helps build confidence because you know you can hit a good clean rep at a significantly higher weight than what the working sets will be. This is particularly confidence-inducing too because when progressing on a program like Starting Strength, Stronglifts or the like, linear progression is occurring with each workout, but that progression also involves a new PR with 5 reps. If say, the previous workout was a real grind to get that 5th rep for each set, then it's very natural to be nervous entering the following workout, trying for a heavy weight that has never been attempted before, and doing 3-5 sets of 5 with it. Doing a daily max builds confidence that a heavier weight CAN be done without technique breakdown or grinding a good many workouts prior to the working sets of 5 reps actually reaching that weight. By the time the working sets of 5 reps come around, your new daily max is already 30 lbs heavier, so again, confidence will be significantly boosted. Note: the choice of dropping 30 lbs (at least within this weight range of ~300 lbs) was actually chosen because based on a 1RM calculator, that's ~ a 10% drop in effort. For example, if 300 lbs is the 1RM, 270 is 90% and can be done for 5 reps.
2) Along the same lines, doing a daily max with higher weight helps you get more accustomed to having a heavy weight on the back, and also keeping the technique solid with a heavier weight. This will help with preventing you linearly progressing up to a new weight that you are unaccustomed to and possibly grinding the reps and burning out your CNS or worse, getting injured because of technique breakdown.
3) There's a lot more confidence for hitting a daily max because everything can be poured into that 1 rep and performing it perfectly, as you would in an actual powerlifting competition. When you get under the bar, you don't need to worry about doing an additional 4 reps afterwards. You can just focus 100% on hitting that rep perfectly.
4) By hitting daily maxes and then doing back off sets, not only will those sets feel easier, but volume can be built up with those sets and it is well known that strength building occurs in those lower intensity higher volume sets, NOT the actual testing or demonstration of strength through the 1 rep maxes.
In contrast to my previous linear program though, I am only doing 1 main lift per day, the main reason being time constraints. In doing this, I can focus on squatting 100% that day without worrying that I still have to do my full bench and deadlift workout still. This also allows me to push beyond just 3 sets and can boost my volume that way. However, in doing it this way, I have relegated the deadlift to it's own day, once a week, but on that day, I'm doing 3x5 instead of 1x5. Although the frequency is decreased so much, I think the performance and training effect should actually be better because I can actually focus on hitting the deadlifts as opposed to doing it after I'm all burned out from the volume of squats and bench presses done beforehand.
Dec 8, 2014
FitNotes Workout - Monday 8 December 2014
** Barbell Squat **
- 45.0 lbs x 10 reps
- 95.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 135.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 185.0 lbs x 3 reps
- 225.0 lbs x 2 reps
- 255.0 lbs x 1 reps
- 225.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 225.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 225.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 225.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 225.0 lbs x 5 reps
** Pull-up **
- 5 x 10 reps
** Barbell Squat **
- 45.0 lbs x 10 reps
- 95.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 135.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 185.0 lbs x 3 reps
- 225.0 lbs x 2 reps
- 255.0 lbs x 1 reps
- 225.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 225.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 225.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 225.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 225.0 lbs x 5 reps
** Pull-up **
- 5 x 10 reps
Saturday, December 6, 2014
Dec 6, 2014
FitNotes Workout - Saturday 6 December 2014
** Barbell Squat **
- 45.0 lbs x 10 reps
- 95.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 135.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 185.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 225.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 255.0 lbs x 3 reps
- 255.0 lbs x 3 reps
- 205.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 205.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 205.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 205.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 205.0 lbs x 5 reps
** Barbell Bench Press **
- 45.0 lbs x 10 reps
- 95.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 135.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 155.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 155.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 155.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 155.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 155.0 lbs x 5 reps
Spent all week toying with different squat techniques again to try to find a strong position that doesn't run the risk of impingement. I tried squatting like Candito, but I find that although there are good aspects: it keeps my shins relatively straight, the knees and hips break at the same time, back stays neutral with no pelvic tilt, but it forces the torso angle to actually change as I descend, which makes it difficult for me to keep the bar path straight. I also tried Jay Nera's technique of setting the upper body in stone and then relaxing the glutes to let the hips drift back before initiating the descent, but I found that I feel less tight doing this and it also leads to some anterior pelvic tilt. I also watched many other people squat in videos, particularly Alex Kang, and I never understood how he can just knee break and go straight down without the hips being in the way. Then from some side angles, I saw that it is because the glutes (flexed or not, I don't know) and hips are actually pretty far back to begin with, whereas when I flex my glutes, I also "hip thrust" them so my body is a straight line under the bar. I tried doing this, with glutes flexed but no hip thrust so they stay farther back, and then going straight up and down, but I had a lot of trouble keeping the bar path straight and vertical. In the end, I literally came full circle, to the very first low bar squat form I used when I first started barbell squatting, which is Alastair MacNicoll's 2-part squat, involving a very distinct hip break, followed by squatting straight down. For me, this accomplished a few things. First, by pushing the hips back like that to start, it keeps the back completely neutral without any concern of pelvic tilt, thus less concern of impingement. Secondly, This allows me to keep everything tight and flexed, including the glutes, as I push the hips back in 1 piece. Third, after bracing my core and "setting my body in stone", when I push the hips back, I am inducing all the forward lean I will have for the whole squat, which makes it easier to go straight up and down, which includes keeping the bar path as vertical as possible. With this technique, I find that I also seem to be in a stronger position with my gaze more downward, which is also somewhat helpful because when I kept my eyes straight ahead, as I go up and down, I can't keep my eyes fixed on anything in particular because the field of vision keeps changing. By keeping my eyes more downcast, I can keep my gaze focused on one thing the whole time. However, this makes it more necessary for me to ensure the upper back is really tight, since I lose the tightness that comes with looking straight and packing the neck. Anyhow, I experimented a lot and after deciding to stick with the 2-part squat (unless I run into problems again as I seem to all the time), I drilled it in with some heavy squats up to 255x3, then 5x5 back off sets of 205, which is about a 70% estimated 1 RM. I also started experiencing some tendonitis in the elbows from the previous squat workout early in the week and so I tried applying the wrist wraps higher up and it seemed to help a lot more. I suspect before I had them too low so though they did help take some weight off, they were still bending enough to cause problems.
I ended the workout with bench press. I dropped the weight a lot, down to 155 lbs, because I haven't benched in well over a week, and now I'm actually trying to do pause benching, as is necessary in competition, versus touch and go.
Overall, I think the ego has been beaten out of me due to all the changes in squat form, all the injuries with hips...etc., that I'm doing what I should have done in the beginning, which is to go slow and make gains incrementally as opposed to rushing. The benefit of what I did do in rushing forward is that, until you are tested with heavy weights which are really challenging, you don't know how well your form might hold up, so now with my squats, I'm hoping I can keep with this form for good. I will move forward from here slowly. It's a passion, it's a marathon, and I hope to be running it for long long time so I need to stop my ego from pushing me to treat it like a sprint.
** Barbell Squat **
- 45.0 lbs x 10 reps
- 95.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 135.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 185.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 225.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 255.0 lbs x 3 reps
- 255.0 lbs x 3 reps
- 205.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 205.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 205.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 205.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 205.0 lbs x 5 reps
** Barbell Bench Press **
- 45.0 lbs x 10 reps
- 95.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 135.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 155.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 155.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 155.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 155.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 155.0 lbs x 5 reps
Spent all week toying with different squat techniques again to try to find a strong position that doesn't run the risk of impingement. I tried squatting like Candito, but I find that although there are good aspects: it keeps my shins relatively straight, the knees and hips break at the same time, back stays neutral with no pelvic tilt, but it forces the torso angle to actually change as I descend, which makes it difficult for me to keep the bar path straight. I also tried Jay Nera's technique of setting the upper body in stone and then relaxing the glutes to let the hips drift back before initiating the descent, but I found that I feel less tight doing this and it also leads to some anterior pelvic tilt. I also watched many other people squat in videos, particularly Alex Kang, and I never understood how he can just knee break and go straight down without the hips being in the way. Then from some side angles, I saw that it is because the glutes (flexed or not, I don't know) and hips are actually pretty far back to begin with, whereas when I flex my glutes, I also "hip thrust" them so my body is a straight line under the bar. I tried doing this, with glutes flexed but no hip thrust so they stay farther back, and then going straight up and down, but I had a lot of trouble keeping the bar path straight and vertical. In the end, I literally came full circle, to the very first low bar squat form I used when I first started barbell squatting, which is Alastair MacNicoll's 2-part squat, involving a very distinct hip break, followed by squatting straight down. For me, this accomplished a few things. First, by pushing the hips back like that to start, it keeps the back completely neutral without any concern of pelvic tilt, thus less concern of impingement. Secondly, This allows me to keep everything tight and flexed, including the glutes, as I push the hips back in 1 piece. Third, after bracing my core and "setting my body in stone", when I push the hips back, I am inducing all the forward lean I will have for the whole squat, which makes it easier to go straight up and down, which includes keeping the bar path as vertical as possible. With this technique, I find that I also seem to be in a stronger position with my gaze more downward, which is also somewhat helpful because when I kept my eyes straight ahead, as I go up and down, I can't keep my eyes fixed on anything in particular because the field of vision keeps changing. By keeping my eyes more downcast, I can keep my gaze focused on one thing the whole time. However, this makes it more necessary for me to ensure the upper back is really tight, since I lose the tightness that comes with looking straight and packing the neck. Anyhow, I experimented a lot and after deciding to stick with the 2-part squat (unless I run into problems again as I seem to all the time), I drilled it in with some heavy squats up to 255x3, then 5x5 back off sets of 205, which is about a 70% estimated 1 RM. I also started experiencing some tendonitis in the elbows from the previous squat workout early in the week and so I tried applying the wrist wraps higher up and it seemed to help a lot more. I suspect before I had them too low so though they did help take some weight off, they were still bending enough to cause problems.
I ended the workout with bench press. I dropped the weight a lot, down to 155 lbs, because I haven't benched in well over a week, and now I'm actually trying to do pause benching, as is necessary in competition, versus touch and go.
Overall, I think the ego has been beaten out of me due to all the changes in squat form, all the injuries with hips...etc., that I'm doing what I should have done in the beginning, which is to go slow and make gains incrementally as opposed to rushing. The benefit of what I did do in rushing forward is that, until you are tested with heavy weights which are really challenging, you don't know how well your form might hold up, so now with my squats, I'm hoping I can keep with this form for good. I will move forward from here slowly. It's a passion, it's a marathon, and I hope to be running it for long long time so I need to stop my ego from pushing me to treat it like a sprint.
Monday, December 1, 2014
Dec 1, 2014
FitNotes Workout - Monday 1st December 2014
** Barbell Squat **
- 45.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 95.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 135.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 185.0 lbs x 3 reps
- 225.0 lbs x 1 reps
- 255.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 255.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 255.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 155.0 lbs x 20 reps
Hip impingement is back and I don't know why. I did the same mobility work to warm up, including a lot of hip flexor stretching and mobilizing the joint capsule using the resistance band for distraction force. Don't know what's the problem but it is definitely affecting my squat, although I was able to do 3x5 of 255 again. After that, with the 155 lb back off high rep set, I toyed with placing the hands closer and the back tightness did feel quite good! I will have to try that closer grip with heavier weights next time. To try to help with the hip impingement I think I will try to stand more shoulder width as opposed to hip width and push out the knees even more to try to create more space. Hopefully that helps. I'm quite peeved the impingement is back...
** Barbell Squat **
- 45.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 95.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 135.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 185.0 lbs x 3 reps
- 225.0 lbs x 1 reps
- 255.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 255.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 255.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 155.0 lbs x 20 reps
Hip impingement is back and I don't know why. I did the same mobility work to warm up, including a lot of hip flexor stretching and mobilizing the joint capsule using the resistance band for distraction force. Don't know what's the problem but it is definitely affecting my squat, although I was able to do 3x5 of 255 again. After that, with the 155 lb back off high rep set, I toyed with placing the hands closer and the back tightness did feel quite good! I will have to try that closer grip with heavier weights next time. To try to help with the hip impingement I think I will try to stand more shoulder width as opposed to hip width and push out the knees even more to try to create more space. Hopefully that helps. I'm quite peeved the impingement is back...
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